If you have made the decision to add a puppy to your family, look no further than your local animal shelter to find a life-long friend! There are dogs of all ages that are surrendered to shelters every day, and many of them are under a year old. Animal shelters are wonderful places to find furry family members because there are lots of choices, and you’re helping to save a life!
What Can I Expect From a Shelter Dog?
You can expect nothing less than greatness. Shelter dogs have proved time and time again to be smart, loving, and loyal companions. Dogs are in shelters for so many reasons and usually, the fault is not the dogs. Most people realize too late that they either cannot or do not want to take on the responsibility of dog ownership. The only one who suffers from this is the dog. Shelters are loaded with healthy, happy, and well-behaved dogs!
Common Myths about Shelter Dogs
There are lots of unsavory stories floating around about dogs in shelters. Most of the time, they are untrue. If you take the time to go to an animal shelter, volunteer to help in one, or look for a puppy to adopt from one, you will soon see that shelters offer some great benefits. Some common misconceptions about shelter dogs are:
- Shelter dogs are not smart.
- Shelter dogs are not healthy.
- Shelter dogs cannot adapt to a new family.
- Shelter dogs are all from abusive homes.
- Shelter dogs are all aggressive.
These things could not be further from the truth. Making the choice to adopt from a shelter is wonderful for so many reasons. First of all, shelter dogs are given thorough health exams and are spayed or neutered before being released to a new home. Secondly, shelter dogs are usually treated well, exercised daily, and socialized before being released. Many shelter dogs are only there because their owners are too irresponsible to take care of them, and that’s not the dogs fault. Lots of shelter dogs have gone on to accomplish great things, even becoming service dogs.
Adopting a puppy from an animal shelter is great because you are giving a pup a new lease on life. You’re spending a lot less than buying from a pet shop because the adoption fees are cheaper than their inflated price tags, and your puppy will already be spayed or neutered. By adopting a shelter puppy, you are acquiring a friend for life.
